System for converting mechanical movement into a related number of electrical pulses



Dec. 11, 1956 L. M. GRISWOLD SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING MECHANICAL MOVEMENTINTO A RELATED NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL PULSES File'cl June 22, 1953 45/: Mge/sa/ma INVENTOR.

United States Patent C SYSTEM FOR CON VERTHJG MECHANICAL MOVE- MENT INTOA RELATED NUMBER OF ELEC- TRICAL PULSES Lee M. Griswold, Pasadena,Calif.

Application June 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,175

Claims. (Cl. 307-98) The present invention relates to an electricalsystem which functions to produce a definite number of electrical pulsesin accordance with the amount of movement of an element from oneposition to a second position.

In various electrical arrangements, which are commonly referred to in ageneric sense as computers, pulse techniques are used to produce thedesired results. In such arrangements, it is often desirable torepresent the amount of movement of an element from one position to asecond position in terms of a corresponding number of electrical pulses,where such movement may be either rectilinear, i. e., in a straightline, part of a circle, or along a helix. For that purpose, thefollowing description is directed to means and techniques whereby theseresults may be achieved.

Briefly, the arrangements described herein which are termed converterssince they serve to convert mechanical movement into electrical pulses,involve two conductors which are maintained at different electricalpotentials, such conductors being arranged to be contacted by an elementWhose movement results in the development of a number of pulses, theexact number of such pulses being related to the degree of movement ofsuch element.

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to providemeans and techniques whereby the above indicated results may beachieved.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide means andtechniques whereby these results may be achieved in a very simplemanner.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide means andtechniques of this type which are useful in the development of a numberof pulses in accordance with the total amount of movement of an element,either backwards or forwards or both backwards and forwards.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows certain details of a converter embodying features of thepresent invention and Figures 2 and 3 show certain details of twomodifications of the converter illustrated in Figure 1.

The converter shown in Figure 1 includes a pair of interlaced butinsulated spirally wound wires 10 and 11, the wire 10 being connected tothe positive terminal of source 12 while the other wire 11 is connectedto the negative terminal of source 12 through the resistance 14.

The wires 10, 11 may either be wound on a straight core 16 of insulatingmaterial, such core being of any desired cross-section, i. e., eitherround, circular, rectangular, square, polygonal, etc. Instead of suchcore 16 extending straight as shown in Figure 1, such core 16 may followgenerally the arc of a circle or may lie on a portion of a spiral. Ineither case, the spirally wound interleaved or interlaced wires 10, 11are arranged to be bridged by a contact element 20 to thereby close acircuit for the passage of current through the serially connectedbattery 12 and load resistance 14. It is thus understood, that when thecontact 20 is in the position illustrated in Figure 1, a current fiow isproduced through load resistance 14; and, that when the contact 20engages only wire 11, or engages only wire 10, no current flows throughthe resistance 14. Thus, a continuous movement of the contact 20 resultsin an intermittent fiow of current through the resistance 14, i. e., aseries of current pulses flows through resistance 14 to develop acorresponding number of voltage pulses across the output terminals 22,23.

The contact 20 may take different forms in that it may be a rollingcontact, i. e., a roller as shown in Figure 1, which is biased intoengagement with the wires 10, 11, or both wires 10 and 11, as the casemay be, by a spring arm 26. The upper end of the spring 26 is fastened,for ex ample, to the element 28 which is movable in a straight line,either backwards or forwards, as represented by the arrows 30. For thatpurpose, suitable guideways (not shown) are provided between thestationary supporting element 32 and the movable element 28. The element28 may be coupled to different members, whose movement is desired to bemeasured in terms of electrical pulses developed at the terminals 22,23.

Although the electrical contact 20 is illustrated in the form of aroller, it is obvious that such contact 20 may take other forms;however, a roller is preferred since on wearing the roller remains roundand is thus unlikely to bridge a number of turns as may be the case whena sliding contact is worn flat. For example, the contact 20 may be asliding contact although a rolling contact is preferred. It is thusapparent, that the amount or degree of movement of the element 28 inFigure 1, either to the right or' to the left, is represented by acorresponding number of voltage pulses developed at the terminals 22 and23 with the exact number of such pulses being independent of thedirection of movement of the element 28. In other words, the device maybe considered to integrate all movements of the element 28, either tothe right or to the left in Figure 1, or a combination of right and leftmovements of the element 28.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the Wires 10 and 11 are wound asshown in Figure 1, but the wire 11 is connected in a different mannerwith respect to the voltage source 112 and contact 20. It is assumed, asbefore, that the wires 10 and 11 have the same diameter. One end of wire11 is connected to the negative terminal of source 12 through resistance14, as in Figure 1, but the positive terminal of source 12 in Figure 2is connected to the contact 20. Otherwise, the structure and operationof the arrangement illustrated in Fig ure 2 is identical, it beingnoted, however, that current flows through the resistance 14 only whenthe contact 20 in Figure 2 engages one of the convolutions of the wire11 and that no current fiows through the resistance 14 when the contact20 is in engagement with the insulation 110.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3, the bare wires 10, 11 arewound on the core 16 in the same manner as illustrated in Figure 1, butin such case, the contact 20 is connected to one output terminal 35, theother output terminal 36 being connected to the positive terminal ofsource 12. Thus, when the contact 20 is in engagement with a convolutionof wire 11 alone, there is no voltage developed across the outputterminals 35, 36; when the contact 20 engages a convolution of wire 10alone, a voltage is developed across the output terminals 35, 36 whichis equal in magnitude to the voltage of source 12; and, when the contact20 bridges adjacent convolutions of the wires 10 and 11, there islikewise no voltage developed across the terminals 35, 36.

The arrangement shown in Figure 1 is considered to be most advantageousfor the reason that no connection U is required to the moving contact,and further, such arrangement produces the most" number of pulses (orhighest resolution) per number of wires traversed.

Thus, devices are disclosed herein for use in converting mechanicalposition, movement, rate and change of rate into digital electricalpulses which indicate the same. The pulses which are developed may bedirectly recorded as numerals, Arabic or otherwise.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.-

I claim:

1. In a converter of the character described, a pair pair of bare wireswhich are interlaced but insulated one from the other, a voltage source,an impedance, a movable contact, a serial circuit comprising one of saidwires, said contact, said source, said impedance and the other of saidpair of wires, said movable cont-act being e'ngageable with differentones of said wires alone and to bridge the same alternatively, only oneterminal of said source being connected to each of said wires, the otherterminal of said source being connectible to a portion of either of saidwires only through said contact.

2. In a converter of the character described, a pair of spirally woundelements, one of said elements being a bare electrical conductor and theother one of said elements including insulation, a movable contactengageable alternatively with said bare conductor, said insulation, andto bridge said insulation and said conductor, a voltage source, animpedance, said contact, voltage source, impedance and said bareconductor being serially connected, only one terminal of said sourcebeing connected to said conductor, the other terminal of said sourcebeing connectible to said conductor only through said contact, saidcontact being a switching element for alternately opening and closing acircuit through the serially connected contact, voltage source,impedance and said bare conductor.

3. In a converter of the character described, a pair of spirally Woundbare wires, each insulated one from the other, a movable contact whichis movable alternatively into engagement with one or the other of saidwires or to bridge the same, an electrical source, an impedance, aseries circuit comprising said source, said impedance, said oneconductor and said other conductor, said con tact being connected to oneterminal of said source, and a pair of output terminals interposedbetween said one terminal and said contact. 4. A convertin system forconverting mechanical movement into related electrical pulses, each ofsubstantially the same intensity comprising a voltage source having afirst terminal and a second terminal, an. impdance, a pair ofspirally-wound interlaced bare Wires, a movable contact member arrangedto contact, in its movement, either one of said Wires, or to bridgeadjacent convolutions of both wires, said first terminal being connectedthrough said impedance to one of said wires, said second terminal beingconnected to the other one of said wires, such contactwhen in positionto bridge said adjacent convolutions being effective to produce acurrent flow through said source, said impedance, a portion of said twowires and said contact, and said contact when in position to contacteither one of said two wires being in position to interrupt said currentflow, and a pair of output terminals connected to opposite terminals ofsaid impedance.

5. A converting system for converting mechanical movement into relatedelectrical pulses, each ofsubs'tantially the same intensity comprising avoltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal, animpedance, a pair of spirally-wound wires, one of saidwires being bareand the other being insulated, a movable contact member arranged tocontact, in its movement, said one wire and then said other wire insuccession, said first terminal being connected through said impedanceto said one wire, said second terminal being connected to said movablecontact, said contact when in position to engage said one wire beingeffective to produce a current flow through said source, said impedance,a portion of said one wire, and said contact, and said contact when inposition to engage said other Wire serving to interrupt said currentflow, and a pair of output terminals connected to corresponding oppositeterminals of said impedance.

6. A converting system for converting mechanical movement into relatedelectrical pulses, each of substantially the same intensity comprising avoltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal, animpedance, a pair of spirally-wound interlaced bare wires, said firstterminal being connected through said impedance to one of said wires,said second terminal being connected to the other one of said wires, amovable contact member arranged to contact, in succession, said onewire, then to bridge the convolutions between adjacent wires, and thento contact said other wire, a first output terminal connected to saidmovable contact, a second output terminal connected to said secondterminal of said source, the voltage between said output terminals beingrelatively low when said contact engages said one wire, the voltagebetween said output terminals being relatively high when said contactbridges the convolutions between adjacent wires, and the voltage betweensaid output terminals being relatively high when said contact engagessaid other wire.

7. A converting system for converting mechanical movement into relatedelectrical pulses, each of substantially the same intensity comprising avoltage source, an impedance, a pair of spirally-wound wires, one ofsaid wires being bare and the other one of said wires being insulated, amovable contact arranged to contact in succession said one wire and thensaid other wire, a series circuit including said source, said impedanceand said contact to produce a current flow through said impedance onlywhen said contact engages said one wire.

8. A converting system for converting mechanical movement into relatedelectrical pulses, each of substantially the same intensity comprising avoltage source, an impedance, a spirally-wound wire, a movable contactarranged to engage, in its movement, individual convolutions of saidwires, a series circuit including said source, said impedance, a portionof one of said wires, and said contact, said source having only one ofits terminals connected to said one wire, the other terminal of saidsource being connectible to said wire only through said contact.

9. A system as set forth in claim 7 in which a second wire isspirally-wound in interlaced manner with said spirally-wound wire andsaid contact is arranged to engage spaced. convolutions of said secondwire in movement of the contact, said other terminal of said sourcebeing connected to said second wire, and said contact being arranged tobridge the spacing between the first-mentioned wire and said secondwire.

10. A system as set forth in claim 7 in which a second insulated wire isspirally-wound in interlaced manner with said spirally-Wound wire andsaid contact is arranged to engage spaced convolutions of said secondinsulated wire in movement of the contact, said insulated wire servingas an insulated spacer between adjacent convolutions of thefirst-mentioned wire.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS230,321 Molera et al. 1111- 20, 1880 405,248 Dahl June 18, 1889 552,495Mayrhofer Dec. 31, 1895 "580,663 Ellicott Apr. 13, 1897 ,920,926Darlington May 1 1, 1909

